Yankees watch: Roster in limbo

Published
11:04 pm EDT, Monday, October 5, 2009

ROSTER IN LIMBO -- Because the AL Central champion won't be decided until today, the team has not announced if it will be selecting the seven-day or eight-day ALDS schedule, a decision which is due one hour after the playoff opponent -- either Minnesota or Detroit -- is finalized.

Manager Joe Girardi said the Yankees have a good idea of which way they are leaning, and it has been widely speculated that they will take the longer schedule in order to use only three starting pitchers and be able to pitch both closer Mariano Rivera and setup man Phil Hughes in each game of the ALDS.

"Why would you put yourself in a situation where you make your call too early?" said GM Brian Cashman, who added the team plans to inform MLB of its decision after its workout at 2 p.m. today.

Girardi did not announce the playoff rotation any further than to say that left-hander CC Sabathia is starting Game 1. That leaves A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte in the dark as to whether they will draw Game 2 in New York or Game 3 on the road.

New York appears to be primed to bring 10 pitchers along for the ALDS, leaving seven options out of the bullpen. Rivera, Hughes, Phil Coke and Alfredo Aceves should be locks, and the Yankees have been pleased to see that Dave Robertson came through two weekend appearances healthy.

If the Twins win, Damaso Marte's chances would seem to improve, as he would give the Yankees a second left-handed option who would be more useful against Minnesota than he would against Detroit.

Should Marte make the cut, there would be one bullpen spot remaining, and Joba Chamberlain's nine-pitch scoreless inning in a relief audition during Sunday's 10-2 win over the Rays might just have shown enough to overtake Chad Gaudin's bid to be a first-round long man.

PRICES SLASHED -- The team is reclassifying more than a quarter of its ritzy Legends Suite seats next season, and slashing prices on many of the remaining tickets by up to $1,250.

Team president Randy Levine declined comment on the changes. Managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said last month the team will review pricing each year.

Overall, the Yankees said last month that 41,928 of 50,086 seats will have the same season price as this year, and 6,454 will drop. The remainder, 1,704 non-premium seats, will increase from $100 to $125.

BACKPACKS BANNED -- The Yankees are prohibiting fans from bringing backpacks to Yankee Stadium for postseason games. The ban was at the directive of the NYPD and Major League Baseball.